


Inherently Evil

by i_require_validation



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Actual mastermind Cain, Backstory, Cain is fleshed out a bit, Chloe just wants her devil back, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, F/M, Fighting, Grieving, Lucifer especially, Not a very happy story, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Scary Evil things, Still within cannon as of season 4, Wings, like seriously
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:07:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21904945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_require_validation/pseuds/i_require_validation
Summary: A detective, an avenging angel, a demon, a slightly charred guardian angel, a messenger of God and the Devil find themselves fighting together to defeat a dark evil that threatens all creation.***Detective Chloe Decker is desperate to find a way to bring Lucifer back. Amenadiel claims he can't help her, but when a mysterious stranger offers assistance on a kidnapping case, Chloe begins to hope that there is another way to bring the Devil back to Earth.
Relationships: Chloe Decker & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Michael & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 42





	1. The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> This story is actually a revamping of "Gilded". Since the story arch for "Gilded" was changed so much since season 4 came out, I decided to just rewrite it here.

Michael lets out a shaky breath, trembling as he stands. The workshop was empty now, his father having left after giving the orders. After the trial, they were all expecting there to be repercussions, but _this?_ Drawing his sword from its sheath between his folded wings he stares at the blade. His eyes burn. The hilt was heavier than he remembered. His chest feels as if it was filled with rocks. Michael quickly sheaths his weapon and walks from God’s workshop. 

The silver city was silent. Michael spent a few moments surveying the skyline for any of his siblings. No one was flying. The streets were empty as he wandered. At some point, he hears someone sobbing, but decides not to investigate. Everyone is crying lately. 

Michael was stalling. He knew it, yet had no desire to carry out his father’s orders quickly. His wings itch, his whole body is frigid as if it was doused in ice. The sheath that held his sword was constricting around him, pulling him _down, down, down…_

He yanks on the soft leather, tearing it off and throwing it to the cobblestone. The sword hilt clatters against the stones. Breathing fast, heart hammering in his ears, Michael stumbles back from the divine weapon. He stares at the weapon, its intricately carved blade hidden within the leather of the sheath. The straps that had held the blade to his back are torn now, winding out from the weapon. 

Michael pulls his eyes from the sword. The base of the stairs to the infirmary were to his right. He forces himself up the stairs to the door, leaving his sword on the cobblestones behind him. He didn’t need it yet. 

The infirmary is freezing. The cold hits him like a wall as soon as he steps in. His face fells wet, and he brushes his fingertips against his cheek. He must have been crying. Absentmindedly wiping the moisture from his face away with the sleeve of his robes, he looks around the mostly empty infirmary, eyes landing on the only occupied cot. He shivers. Michael rarely came to the infirmary. There was once when he had broken Samael’s wing in two places during a particularly violent duel down at the training arena, or when Samael had dislocated his wings and arm after he accidentally caused one of his stars to erupt and Michael was thrown into a nearby planet. Shaking the memories from his head, he forces himself to keep moving forward.

Raphael was crouched with his back to Michael, fussing with her wings. Gabriel was sitting across from Raph on the neighboring cot, slumping over with his head in his hands. 

Raphael was mumbling something to himself, but Michael could not hear. The stench of burnt feathers makes him stall. _I should leave before they notice me_. His eyes linger on his sister, and he doesn't move.

“Is she awake?” Michael asks, his voice croaking with emotion. Gabriel stands and glares at Michael swiftly walking to Michael. He is seething with anger, and for a moment Michael wonders if he should have brought his sword in with him to defend himself. 

“How dare you come here.” He growls, his silver feathers sharpening and puffing out. Michael shrinks back. He looks past Gabriel to the cot, where his sister lay on her side. Her eyes were closed and she is trembling, letting out small sobs as she sleeps. Her wings are laid out behind her, and his breath catches when he sees them. There are terrible burns covering them, feathers falling from the limbs as Raphael works to clean the wounds. The feathers remaining are covered in ash, and caked in golden blood. Michael tears his eyes away from them. 

“Please let me talk to her,” Michael says softly. Gabriel’s expression stays hard, but Michael thinks he saw his pure silver eyes soften. Gabriel’s silver wings droop, and he moves back to let Michael through. 

Stepping towards Mariel’s bed, Michael gingerly placed his hand on hers. She looked even worse up close. Her golden skin was pale, sweat beaded her forehead and her hair was tangled and shortened by the fire. He blinked to try and quell the burning in his eyes. He could feel Raphael and Gabriel looking at him, but he did not care. He bent forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. He pulls back. 

“I’m sorry.”

Michael let her hand go. Raphael was motioning for Gabriel to do something, but Michael paid little attention to the gesturing, more focused on his sister’s trembling form. He feels a pressure on his shoulder. 

He whipped around in a flash, grabbing Gabriel’s wrist from where his hand lay on his shoulder. Gabriel stared back at him wide-eyed, and Michael released him from his grip. Rubbing the back of his neck Gabriel looks at Michael sheepishly. 

“You know, this isn’t your fault Michael. You don’t need to apologize,” Gabriel glanced over at Raphael, who made a _go on_ … motion with his left hand while cleaning Mariel’s burns with the other. Gabriel opened his mouth to speak again, but Michael cut him off. 

“I know,” Michael said, his voice growing stronger. “I am sorry for what I am about to do.”

Without saying another word Michael storms from the infirmary, ignoring the concerned looks that followed him from his brothers. The guilt and sorrow that had been festering within him were now burning away, consumed by a wave of raging anger. He lets the feeling wash over him.

He would need it for what he had to do next. 

***

Michael found him in the training arena. Samael was pacing back and forth, his glowing white wings tucked into his back. He was unarmed. Michael supposed that was good, it would make this easier. 

Samael noticed him and gave him one of his brilliant smiles. It wasn’t genuine, Michael knew his twin well enough to notice the pain the other was trying to hide with a happy face. Dread started to coil in Michael’s stomach, but he ignored it. His sword felt so cold, and heavy in his palm. Had it always been like this? 

“Here for some sparring, brother?” Samael asked, miming holding a sword. “I am afraid my blade is still destroyed, so perhaps we can leave sword-play for another day.” Samael’s smile came so easily. How? After everything they lost? “I am afraid our siblings are all caught up in grief at the moment, but I am sure we can find a way to cheer them up.”

“Samael,” Samael ignored him and continued talking. 

“I am sure that after Mariel is healed -”

“Samael.”

“- Rae-Rae and I could -”

“Lucifer!” Michael shouts, unable to listen to his brother’s light, unbothered voice for a moment longer. At the sound of his nickname - a name that Michael rarely used - Samael stopped talking. His smile melts from his face, and for the first time, he seems to notice Michael’s disheveled state. Samael’s eyes flick down to the tip of the sword. 

“Why the sword, brother?” His voice is even, neutral, not betraying any panic. Michael hesitated. _It’s not too late yet…_

“I broke my sheath.” He says easily, looking down at the blade. He was met with silence and looked up to meet Samael’s eyes. 

“Don’t lie to me, Michael,” Samael said, stepping back. Michael cleared his throat, and attempts to focus on anything, anything, other than the heavy feeling in his chest. 

“It has been requested that you take your throne in Hell.” He said in a commanding voice, betraying no weakness. Samael just stared at him. Michael felt as if his feet were sinking into the rock beneath him, preventing him from leaving this moment and moving forward. 

“And, if I refuse?” Samael asked, glancing at the sword Michael was brandishing. Michael found himself unable to speak for a moment, and Samael let out a bitter laugh. “Let me guess,” he again meets Michael’s eyes, but now his expression was cold. “You will make me.” Samael sneers, and Michael twirls his sword and lunges.

***

Samael took to the sky immediately, avoiding the strike of Michael’s sword. Michael spread his wings and took off after him. Samael stopped above him, drifting through the air and looking incredulously at Michael. 

“You need not do this Michael!” Samael shouted, raising his arms defensively still. “We can -”

“Do not try to use your cunning on me Samael!” Michael said, swiping his sword towards his brother’s wing. Samael dodged easily, swooping away from Michael’s reach before the blade could hit him. In the air, bringing down the light-bringer would be much more of a challenge. Michael swallowed a lump in his throat and attacked again. 

This continued for some time, Michael lunging and Samael dodging the strikes, pleading with Michael to stop and listen. He knew he couldn’t, he must follow his orders. Finally, his blade tasted blood. White feathers fluttered down from Samael’s wing, and he began to decent. Michael struck again, bringing his sword down on the joint of his brother’s wing, filling the air with the sickening scent of blood. Samael cried out in pain, and unable to keep to the skies he plummeted, trailing white feathers in his wake. 

Michael swooped down and caught Samael, barreling towards the edge of the city. Samael fought Michael’s hold on him, but his struggle was in vain. Michael let his brother drop, and Samael tumbled to the ground as Michael landed between him and the city. 

Samael pushed himself up, stumbling slightly. One of his wings was limp, dragging behind him as he took shakey steps away from the edge of heaven. Behind him was nothing, a void leading to lands beyond heaven. A drop down to Hell. Samael grits his teeth and glared at Michael. Michael couldn’t bring himself to look at his twin, instead of focusing on the swirling clouds over the edge. 

Michael looked down at his sword, already stained by his brother’s blood. It felt as if the weapon was yanking his hand to the ground. He looked back to Samael, who was glaring at him but making no move to run or fight. 

“Take your place on the throne of Hell, brother.” Michael’s voice sounded foreign in his ears. “This will be the last time I ask.” His heart was pounding in his ears. His hand trembled on the hilt of his sword. 

“I would rather die,” Samael growled, his good wing’s feathers sharpening in one last attempt to defend himself. 

They fought. 

It wasn’t an even fight, with Samael wounded and unarmed, but still, time seemed to stretch on. In the back of his mind, Michael wondered if Amenadiel was drawing out the fight. Michael had many opportunities to strike, but would never take them.

 _I will never see him again after this._

The thought dawned on him suddenly, and he faltered. The reality of what this meant was settling on him, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Samael never struck him, even though Michael hoped he would. If Samael struck him down, this task would be left to another. But this was how it was meant to be, this is what his father had commanded. 

Before he realized what was happening, Michael was pouncing forward. His sword ran through Samael’s stomach, and both of them stood still. An eternity seemed to pass for Michael as he gripped the sword hilt, and his brother slumped onto his shoulder. Michael was staring past the point of his blade that was emerging from Samael’s back down into the void. He let go of his weapon and grasped Samael’s shoulders. 

“Goodbye, brother.” He said quietly into Samael’s ear and pushed him over the edge. 

Samael fell, Michael’s sword still embedded in his stomach.

Michael stepped back from the edge, and sprinted away from what he had done. He fell to the ground, sobbing and clutching his chest. In the distance, he heard his Father’s voice, echoing across the city.

“ _The Archangel Lucifer has fallen.”_


	2. Don't you dare call me "Detective"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Was Chloe being too suspicious of the new Social Worker, or is she onto something?
> 
> A stranger, new to town, shows up at Detective Decker's crime scene. Chloe can tell that there is something off about her, but she can't tell what exactly it is.

Chloe finds herself leaning against a patrol car and staring at a crumpled fast-food wrapper scrape against the asphalt. The world whirls around her in a symphony of sirens and a dance of red and blue lights. All she can focus on is the empty feeling in her chest. Officers rush around in a flurry, adding to the chaos of the crime scene. She decides to concentrate on the case, ignoring the ache. 

It was chaos she’s used to. Years of being a cop meant she had her fair share of loud crime scenes. It’s familiar. It used to be calming. 

The lonely paper from McDonald's made its pilgrimage across the parking lot. Chloe’s eyes follow it. She still remembers the night of his departure. The brisk air rushing around her when he had flown away, leaving her alone and cold...

A gloved hand waved in front of her face, interrupting her reminiscing. Her eyes were dry from her unrelenting stare at the wrapper. Ella stands next to her, evidence tote bag in hand, and trying to get the detective’s attention. 

“Hey, girl,” Ella said, lacking her usual energy. Since the disappearance, Ella had picked up on Chloe’s bad mood and walked on eggshells around her. “What’s up?”

Chloe attempts a smile. Her lips split from the stretch. 

“Hi Ella, any interesting evidence?” Better to focus on the case. Ella deflates a little at the shift of the conversation. Chloe felt bad for bringing her friend down. She should call a tribe meeting later in the week to lighten up everyone's moods.

“Not much evidence left, this place is clean. Really clean.” Ella opens her mouth to add something, probably a joke, but side eyes Chloe and seemingly decides against it. “Only the bodies and the kid…” Ella trails off. At the ambulance across the lot, Dan is talking to a small trembling figure draped in a shock blanket. The kid had yet to say anything. 

It was a tragic, and abnormal crime scene. A car is parked with both back doors and the driver door wide open. The back seat has two booster seats strapped in to accommodate for children. Crime techs are swarming the cars like ants who found a parcel of food, brushing every inch of the doors for fingerprints. On the ground near one of the back doors is the body of a man wearing dark clothes. Blood pooled around him and his lifeless eyes stared into the sky. A little farther from the car is the body of a woman in her mid-thirties wearing a sundress, her purse still slung over one shoulder. 

The working theory is that a team of kidnappers came for the children and the mother put up a fight, killing one of the kidnappers, then being killed by the partner who made it away with the little girl and leaving the boy behind as their sole witness. The boy hadn't said a word since the police had arrived on the scene, and Chloe suspected he would be removed from the scene soon. 

Dan, dejected from his inability to get the kid to talk, finally gives up. He gets up and strides over to her from the ambulance.

Dan slumped next to Chloe on the car and sighs. “The kid is too traumatized to talk.” She lets a breath out from her nose and nods. That was to be expected. Dan rubbed at his temples. “This couldn’t have come at a worse time.” Chloe nodded, still aimlessly watching the evidence collection take place before her. Most of her work was done here, but she wouldn’t leave. Something in her was keeping her at the crime scene. 

The two of them stood there, both mulling over their personal tragedies as the world whirled around them. Out of the corner of her eye Chloe catches sight of a woman ducking under the tape. She isn’t in uniform but still walks with confidence onto the crime scene. She walked briskly past some officers but none of them looked up from their files.

 _Let another cop deal with her_. Chloe thinks, because if the woman isn’t meant to be there someone will catch on quick enough. Sure enough, a rookie cop seems to notice her, and hurriedly drops his notes on a folding table and rushes over. Chloe’s eyes drop back down to look at the McDonald's wrapper, assuming that the issue is being dealt with.

Chloe could imagine the interaction now, _“Sorry ma’am this is a crime scene you can’t be here,”_ The officer would lament while gripping her arm a little too tightly and escorting the woman to the tape…

That’s not what was happening. Chloe glances up from the ground and her mouth falls slightly agape as she realizes the rookie isn't speaking at all. Chloe watches the woman speak a few words to the officer and give him a dazzling smile. His whole stance goes slack and he nods dumbly at her. 

The woman patted him on the arm, and the rookie seems to be pulled from his trance. The woman gestures toward the ambulance, still talking. Chloe’s eyes narrow. There was no family in the area on file, and Chloe knew every face in the homicide department. Why was this woman here? And what did she want with the kid? Too caught up in her own deliberations, Chloe doesn’t notice the pair coming towards her. 

“Detective Decker!” The rookie called out when he was within earshot. Chloe jumped at the sound. She looked up to see the rookie with the mysterious woman in tow in front of her. Now that the pair was closer to her, Chloe knew that she had never seen the woman before. She was about Chloe’s height, wearing a turtleneck, blazer and dress pants. _Professional_ . She was tanned, so from somewhere sunny, perhaps a local. There was a badge hung around her neck with a yellow line along the bottom. _Social worker._

“I don’t believe we’ve met,” Chloe says to the woman, plastering on a fake smile. “I am Detective Decker,” Chloe stuck her hand out for a handshake. The woman smiles at her, showing off perfect white teeth. _Wealthy upbringing, or at least someone with good dental insurance._

“I am Mariel Williams, I am here to take care of the child, Oliver Norris,” She said, unclipping her badge and handing it to Chloe. Chloe inspected it for discrepancies, but it seemed legit. 

“Funny, I thought that Samia Rowe was the social worker I called for this case,” Chloe gauged Mariel’s reaction to that. She didn’t flinch. 

“She was busy, unfortunately! I decided to take the case to help her out. She is having some troubles at home, so I took her on-call shift.” Mariel finished off the explanation with another winning smile. 

“ _Mm_ , alright.” Mariel was still smiling, but her patience appeared to be wearing thin. “If you don’t mind, our people just need to process you first.” Mariel’s smile wavered. 

“With all due respect, Detective, Oliver is now a ward of the State. That means I am responsible for his well being. Emotional, physical, and legal.” Mariel punctuated the last word. “He is traumatized enough, being held here at the scene of his mother’s murder, not to mention being interrogated by your officers.” Mariel spared a scorching side glance at Dan before looking back to Chloe with a deadly glare. “Now, do I need to call my supervisor to report your embarrassing lack of delicacy on this matter?”

“Dang! Uh, I should go…” Ella said, then scurried off to leave the social worker to Chloe and Dan. The detective next to her was fuming. 

“Hey, we have been working our asses off here,” Dan started, glaring at the newcomer. “Don’t blame us because you took your sweet time getting here.” Mariel’s expression hardened. She didn’t seem like a harmless social worker anymore. _Danger!_

In her gut, it didn’t feel right. Something was off and she intended to find out what. She smiled apologetically at Mariel and put a hand on Dan’s shoulder. Dan gave her an incredulous look and stormed away.

“Well, I suppose I can call your supervisor later to clear up this mix-up,” Mariel loosened up a little at that but said nothing. “You have to understand we’re a little on edge here, this kidnapping is out of the ordinary. Follow me. We can get some paperwork done then you can take the kid.” Mariel smiled and followed the detective to a fold-up table by one of the evidence vans. A few moments of awkward silence passed. 

“I”m sorry too, I can get a little…” she paused for a moment looking for the right word, “Protective.” Chloe nodded, watching carefully as Mariel signed papers and copied down her badge number.

“I haven’t seen you around before,” Chloe began nonchalantly, “are you new here?” Mariel’s pen stilled. The other woman straightened herself slightly and narrowed her eyes slightly at Chloe. The change was subtle, but Chloe was trained to observe body language. 

“I just moved here.” Mariel was still looking at her strangely. Chloe cleared her throat and took shuffled the papers into a manilla folder.

“You can talk to Oliver now, though I should warn you he isn’t speaking.” The tense moment passed. 

“Finally,” Mariel muttered and turned on her heel and made her way toward the ambulance, Chloe still in tow. When Mariel got closer to the ambulance her pace slowed. She kneeled in front of the child, below his eye level and gave him a warm smile. 

“Hello, little one,” said Mariel, in a warm soft voice that made Chloe’s tense stance relax slightly. 

No response came from Oliver, he only sniffled and wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. 

“My name is Mariel.” she continued. More sniffles from the boy. “I know you’re scared right now,” Mariel tilted her head sympathetically. “But I want you to know I’m here to help you.” Chloe was not completely convinced of that yet, but she couldn’t do anything about it. Mariel had the credentials, and despite her gut feeling, Chloe couldn’t do anything. 

If Mariel’s story didn’t check out, it was likely she was involved in the kidnapping. The LAPD had clearly happened upon a large operation, big enough to have trained individuals infiltrate the investigation. Mariel, if that was her name, had appeared too suddenly. Chloe considered the manilla folder she still held. If there were fingerprints left on the paperwork, she could run them against anyone with previous arrests. Someone who was experienced enough to fake being a social worker must have had run-ins with the system before. 

The little boy still wasn’t reacting much to Mariel. Cop after cop had tried to get through to him, Dan being the last. The kid wasn't talking. He hadn’t talked in the 45 minutes since the police got there, not even to the paramedics.

Mariel paused for a minute, giving the boy time. When it was clear the kid wasn’t going to say anything Chloe began considering just taking the supposed social worker to the station. Just as the Detective was about to step in Mariel caught the child’s eyes and smiled. Then she finally spoke.

“You can trust me, little one,” She says in a honeyed voice that flows over Chloe, making every muscle in her body turn to warm sludge.

The file slips from Chloe’s fingers and flutters to the asphalt, papers sliding from the folder and fanning across the ground. The boy is still for a second, then throws his arms around Mariel’s neck and begins sobbing into her shoulder. 

***

“He- “ the boy hiccuped, “He said if I said anything…” the boy broke down more and squeezed Mariel tighter. She hugged him back, whispering soothing reassurances into his ear.

Chloe barely registered anything. Those four silken words had such power, washing over the boy and making him instantly follow the command, it is almost unlike anything she had seen before. Almost. 

Chloe’s mouth was dry, the world swayed. She could hardly stand. The only time she had ever seen someone hold such influence with words was Lucifer. She could practically hear his buttery voice in her ear.

_What is your deepest, darkest desire?_

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, her whole head seemed to be throbbing from it. She could hardly breathe. Surely this doesn’t mean… Just because this woman- this person- this _whatever_ Mariel is- can do the eye voodoo hypnotism thing that Lucifer - _who is the devil_ \- can do doesn’t make Mariel a, an Angel. Does it? Chloe was spiraling. Lucifer had never mentioned his siblings much. Surely if one was roaming the earth, other than Amenadiel - who also never mentioned this - she would have been told about it. Right? It seems important to her at least. 

“Are you alright?” A soft voice asked. Mariel was standing in front of her now, holding the dropped papers out to her like an offering. When had she picked those up? Chloe tries to come up with something to say, anything that might salvage this situation. Instead, terror pulsed through her. Her tongue felt thick and heavy, her head throbbing more intensely now. 

What was this standing in front of her? Was Mariel a powerful, otherworldly being taking a vacation here? Or just a human who knew how to use the power of suggestion? What Chloe had just seen was nothing like what she knew about hypnotism, which was frankly not much. She had only looked into it back when she was still curious about Lucifer. Nothing on the internet quite related to what Lucifer could do. 

“Hey,” Mariel puts a hand on Chloe’s shoulder, and it takes everything in her to not pull away. “You don’t look well, perhaps you should sit down?” Mariel’s voice was encouraging and warm. Some deeper part of Chloe just wanted to follow those orders and let all the stress and worry seep away… Chloe nodded absently and she was lead to a folding chair by Mariel. 

“I’ll go get you water, ok?” She said, then darted off. Suddenly Dan was there. 

“Chloe! Are you ok? What happened!” Dan was reignited by worry, buzzing from added stress. Chloe slowly began to come back to herself. “Did that ‘social worker’ do something to you?” Chloe barely registered him but shook her head. 

Chloe had thought she had a handle on this whole divinity situation. She was in love with the devil, had a demon roommate, and babysat for a baby angel for crying out loud! As her breathing calmed down, she realized that the fact that this Mariel may be a divine being isn’t what is causing her to panic. 

As the fog from her brain clears she considered that she is simply unsettled by the fact that she has no idea where Mariel stands. Is she a friend, or foe? Lucifer had never spoken kindly of his siblings. Mariel was likely there when he was thrown into hell. 

That thought made her blood boil for a second, but almost immediately she calmed down. Anger wouldn’t get her far against an all-powerful divine being. Something else is also nagging at her, a small hopeful voice saying _since Amenadiel won't, maybe Mariel can fly to hell..._

She shakes her head. No. She wouldn’t let herself hope...

Dan is trying to get her attention now, putting a bottle of water in her hands. When she looked up Mariel is standing next to Dan with a worried look furrowing her brow. Chloe brings the bottle to her lips and cool liquid slips past her cracked lips and soothes her dry mouth. She coughs and shakes her head. 

_Be cool. Don’t let years of acting lessons go to waste._

Chloe looked up sheepishly. 

“Sorry about that. I just suddenly felt faint, like I was going to pass out, you know?” Chloe forced out a laugh she hopes doesn’t sound too fake. Mariel regarded her with a strange look on her face, but Chloe decides to ignore that. Dan is not convinced. 

“Chloe, are you sure you’re alright? I can call the paramedics over - “ Chloe cuts him off before he could demand she be hospitalized. 

“I’m fine Dan. I’ll just grab a bite to eat on the way back to the station,” She says, giving him a meaningful glare. He nods reluctantly at that. 

“Just promise me you’ll actually eat something, ok?” He says, and she hopes he considers the vending machine sandwich she has stashed away in her cruiser to be food, as Lucifer surely wouldn’t.

Just thinking of him causes her heart to ache. He despises hell, as anyone would. She remembers the pain and reluctance in his eyes as he pulled away from the final kiss they shared, summoning his wings so he may return to his realm. Chloe grit her teeth together. She can’t let him stay down there. Surely there is another way to keep the demons in Hell! All she needs is someone to fly down there to convince him to try, but Amenadiel refused her plan. 

“It’s too dangerous,” he had said, “especially now that the demons had been rioting, and I’m a Father now, Chloe,” She had wanted to yell at him, tears burned in her eyes and she had just wanted to let him have it. The only thing that stopped her was the regret in the angel’s voice, making her remember that he must miss his little brother as well. Amenadiel was just handling his departure much better than she was. There was no reason to yell at him for that. 

Now, Chloe studied Mariel, compiling a checklist in her head. If she were truly an angel like her hypnosis suggests… No! Chloe scolded herself. _You’re a Detective, don’t let yourself jump to conclusions just because of something you want._

Chloe takes a deep breath. She needs to test her theory somehow, and she is beginning to get some ideas.

“Actually Mariel, why don’t you join me?” Mariel looks over to where the little boy is now talking with another police officer, then back to Chloe. After a moment of consideration, she nodded and smiled. 

“I would love to, Detective.” 

***

The air feels thick in the cruiser as Chloe inches the car through LA traffic. Mariel sits beside her, staring out the window and completely unaware of the turmoil within Chloe’s head. She is making a mental checklist composed of details that point to Mariel being an angel. 

First, naturally, was the weird eye-thing she had done on the little boy. She had gotten the child to trust her by simply telling him he could. Or, maybe the boy was just coincidentally ready to talk when Mariel came over, the more rational part of her thoughts chimes in, but she stubbornly pushed those thoughts away. 

Another fact Chloe added to her list was the woman’s name: Mariel. Chloe remembers Amenadiel talking about how all the angel’s names ended in ' _el_ ,' meaning “of God,” or something along those lines. _Mariel is also a common name, though._ That pesky rational part of her interjects again, apparently bent on preventing Chloe’s plans from reaching fruition.

Mariel was also quite beautiful, did that mean anything? Were all angels attractive, or was Chloe just being superficial? In Renaissance paintings, angels were always depicted as such. Amenadiel and Lucifer are definitely quite handsome, but did that mean that their siblings were also attractive? The two angels she knows are only two of many, at least, she assumes so. Chloe steals another glance at her passenger. Mariel has delicately chiseled features, and despite the dark circles etched under her warm brown eyes, the woman is undeniably gorgeous. She didn’t look much like Lucifer, but neither did Amenadiel. 

_You’re grasping at straws now, Decker_. She chastises herself, finally listening to her own skepticism.

She had seen witnesses do the same thing she was now, fooling themselves into believing something simply because it was better than the truth. 

Lucifer wasn’t coming back. Even if she could find someone to fly down there to convince him to return to earth, he would likely refuse. Lucifer never liked being told what to do. Her eyes sting and she blinks furiously, gripping the steering wheel and staring at the red light above them.

She feels Mariel watching her, and it makes her want to cry more. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mariel asks softly, and Chloe spares another glance at her. Mariel's eyebrows were knitted together and her eyes filled with concern. Chloe flushes and angrily wipes her eyes. 

“Just allergies,” Chloe lies, her words getting caught in her throat. She swallowed thickly.

Mariel is still looking at her, clearly not falling for it, but she does not press Chloe further. 

The light turns green and Chloe drives forward. She turns on the turn signal and soft ticking breaks the silence. Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe notices Mariel tapping her fingers restlessly against her knees. Chloe clears her throat. 

“Sorry,” Chloe says, and Mariel looks to her again. “I just,” she takes a moment to choose her words carefully. Chloe knows she shouldn’t reveal too much about her predicament, whether or not Mariel actually turned out to be an angel. 

She glances over at Mariel, who is smiling reassuringly at her. She catches her eyes for a split-second, and suddenly Chloe feels more at ease. Before she realizes it, words are tumbling out of her mouth. 

“The man I love is gone, and I’m scared that I’ll never see him again and there is nothing I can do about it.” She says in a rush. Mariel tilts her head slightly, processing the information Chloe had just sprung on her. Finally, she speaks. 

“Nothing is forever, Detective Decker.” Chloe’s eyes are stinging. Being the king of Hell was forever. But Mariel couldn’t know that.

“Please, call me Chloe.” She said, then returned her focus to the road.

“Ok, Chloe.” 

The silence stretches again, marginally less uncomfortable than previously. Chloe pulls into her designated parking spot at the precinct and twists the keys in the ignition to turn off the car. The vehicle stills around them, but neither makes a move to get out. 

“Chloe, I know I am just a stranger to you, and we got off to a bit of a rocky start, but I am a good listener,” Chloe pulled the keys from the ignition and stares at them. Apparently not deterred from her lack of response, Mariel continues talking. “We should get going and find Amy. Don’t forget that I’m here to talk.”

 _Amy._ Chloe feels her heart rate pick up when she thinks of the missing child. Mariel is right, they needed to start breaking down the evidence to find the abducted child. 

When she enters the bullpen she does a quick scan to locate where Mariel went to. Chloe notices her sliding into the new Lieutenants office, shooting a dazzling smile to whoever is in the room. Knowing where the possible-angel is, she briskly makes her way over to Ella’s lab. 

She rushes inside and slams the door behind her, rattling the blinds. Ella jumped at the slam of the door. One of her earbuds pops out of her ear and sways as Ella whips around to look at the intruder. 

“Chloe, hi!” she sighs. “You gave me a heart attack.”

“Can you look into someone for me?” Chloe whispered, walking to the table in the center of the room. 

“Why are we whispering?” 

“Because I need you to tell me who this woman is, Ella.” Chloe hissed, pressing her hands against the cool metal of the table. 

“The chick from the crime scene? She’s a social worker - we checked her credentials remember?” 

Credentials wouldn’t matter if Mariel was a celestial being. Her being a social worker was beside the point now. The only identification Chloe cared about now would be an ‘Angel Card,’ if that was a thing. Did they have ID in heaven? Chloe filed that thought away for later. 

“Yes, I remember.” Chloe sighed. This would be easier if Ella knew all the celestial crap, but she didn’t. “I just have a weird feeling, that’s all.” Ella’s eyes widened. 

“Do you think she had something to do with the kidnapping?” Ella said, eyes darting to the blinds behind Chloe. “Where is she?” Chloe followed Ella’s gaze. 

“In the Lieutenant's office still,” Chloe said. After a moment of planning what to say next to convince Ella to look into her more Chloe adds, “Don’t you think it is strange that she shows up out of the blue?” Bouncing on her heels, Ella nods. 

“She is totally a suspect. Good work Chlo!” Ella claps her on the back, then walks over to her computer. “So, what’s the plan?” 

Smiling to herself for getting Ella on her side, Chloe deliberates what she should do next. 

“Was there any DNA left on the scene?” 

“Tons of it! But we don’t really know whos is whos.” Ella shuffled through her papers. “There is some blood left on the car door that seems to be the most suspicious though. It looks like Milana Norris slammed the edge of the door against the missing assailant.” Ella explained, miming someone getting slammed in the door. “They cleaned it really well, so we didn’t get it on our initial sweep.”

“What if I got a strand of Mariel’s hair, could you rush the DNA test to see if it matches?” Chloe asked, her mind already running a mile a minute. She didn’t really think that Mariel was involved in the kidnapping, at least not directly. Dan had texted her on the ride to the station, saying he had already called the supervisor over at CPS, and Mariel’s story checked out. If she was involved, it was as a lackie who shows up to crime scenes after-the-fact to make sure everything goes smoothly. 

Testing her DNA would tell her if she was an angel. Lucifer had mentioned once that celestials had different DNA from humans. A hair from Mariel would be solid evidence. Chloe needed solid evidence for once. 

There was also the possibility that Mariel was neither an otherworldly being or a criminal, but Chloe couldn’t let herself look into those dead ends again. She would be back to square one, on both the case and more importantly on her quest to get Lucifer back. 

“I can rush a test,” Ella said, bouncing excitedly, “A guy at the labs owes me a favor.” Ella’s eyes widened, “I mean! I didn’t - I’m sorry!” Ella rushed out. 

It took Chloe a moment to realize what Ella was apologizing for. _Favors_. Of course. Lucifer’s thing. Also Pierce’s thing, but she didn’t like to waste any more time thinking about that bastard. 

“I won’t break down at the mention of favors, Ella.” Chloe chastised, and Ella calmed down slightly. 

“Oh yeah, totally, I just um…” Ella trailed off.

She hated how on edge everyone around her was since Lucifer left. To avoid the awkward eye contact she looked down at the files on the table describing the gruesome crime scene. Unable to stand the tension in the air, Chloe said goodbye and briskly walked out of the lab to retrieve a strand of hair from Mariel. 

Stepping out of the lab was like stepping into another world. The serenity and cleanliness of the lab gave way to the loud bustling of the bullpen. Mariel was still nowhere to be seen, so she walked to her desk. There was so much paperwork to do even though she had only gotten the case a few hours ago. 

Paperwork was boring but safe. After Lucifer’s disappearance, she had buried herself in paperwork. Luckily for her, there was plenty to be done about the several bodies left behind by the demons. 

Her focus was pulled from her paperwork by the sensation of someone standing beside her desk. She looked up to see Mariel standing there, rubbing at the back of her neck sheepishly. 

“Oliver is ready to give an official statement.”

“Good! You can set him up in interrogation room 3.” Chloe pointed to the correct door before returning to her papers. Mariel didn’t move. 

“I also have been added as a consultant to the case.” Chloe blinked. 

“What?”

“Well, I have had some experience with these kidnappers before. And I am experienced in assisting the investigations.” Chloe’s eyes narrowed. Mariel was becoming more and more suspect the more she found out about her. 

Part of her hated the sense of deja-vu that overtook her. She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering a different time when an eccentric club owner had stood smugly in front of her desk, boasting about being her partner. The memory faded. Those times were passed, now she had to deal with Mariel. 

“Alright.” Chloe didn’t know what else to say. How had Mariel managed to get the Lieutenant to believe her so quickly?

“Look, I know we got off to a rocky start. You’re a detective, you’re meant to be suspicious of everyone and I get that. I am sorry I snapped at you, but my job is to protect. You should understand that.” Chloe nodded and smiled. It wasn’t fair that she was annoyed at Mariel. There was a possibility - a big one at that - that she was completely innocent of betraying Lucifer. Still, Chloe couldn’t separate the image of Mariel watching Lucifer tumbling through the air and doing nothing...

“Right, sorry. I just, haven't had a partner in a while.” Chloe stood. “I am excited to work with you. Can you prepare Oliver?” Mariel grinned. 

“Of course!” She slipped her blazer off. “Can I leave this here?” Excitement sparked in Chloe, but she tried not to show it. 

“Sure! Leave it on my chair. I just need to get some last things from Ella, you get Oliver.”

“Ok, Partner!” Mariel waved before leaving to get Oliver. 

Chloe turned her attention to the blazer, grinning as she spotted a long golden hair stuck in the collar. 

_We will_ never _be partners._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you all for the kudos!  
> I am hoping to update this weekly on Tuesday. The update schedule will be slightly unpredictable due to the holidays.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next time we get some background on this Mariel stranger... ;)


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